Author: By Mario Canseco

Albertans and Canadians aged 18-to-34 are more likely to give the thumbs up to a prospective purchase.

Vancouver, BC [February 28, 2019] – A majority of Canadians reject the notion of purchasing a bordering American state as was recently suggested in an online petition, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 56% of Canadians think the federal government should not consider purchasing Montana for $1 trillion.

The online petition—initiated in the United States—is calling on Americans to sign in support of selling the State of Montana to Canada for $1 trillion U.S., in order to eliminate the national debt in the U.S.

The highest level of support for Canada’s eventual purchase of Montana is observed among men (32%), Canadians aged 18-to-34 (41%) and residents of Alberta (37%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (34%).

“We have many issues where there are glaring differences across party lines,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “But when it comes to giving consideration to the purchase of Montana, similar proportions of Conservative (30%), Liberal (28%) and New Democratic Party (NDP) (26%) voters are in agreement.”

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 21 to February 24, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Almost three-in-four residents think Canada should establish new guidelines for birthright citizenship.

Vancouver, BC [February 26, 2019] – Many residents of British Columbia are concerned about the practice of “birth tourism”, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 82% of British Columbians believe “birth tourism” can be unfairly used to gain access to Canada’s education, health care and social programs.

“Birth tourism” is the practice of traveling to a specific country for the purpose of giving birth there and securing citizenship for the child in a country that has birthright citizenship.

Canada allows expectant mothers who are foreign nationals to gain automatic citizenship for their children born in Canada.

There have been reports of unregulated “for profit” businesses that have facilitated the practice of “birth tourism” in Canada. Across British Columbia, 49% of residents say they have followed this issue “very closely” or “moderately closely” over the past year.

More than three-in-five British Columbians say “birth tourism” can degrade the value of Canadian citizenship (66%) and can displace Canadians from hospitals (63%).

An e-petition endorsed by Joe Peschisolido, the Member of Parliament for the Steveston—Richmond East constituency, is calling on the federal government to commit public resources to determine the full extent of “birth tourism” across Canada. A considerable majority of British Columbians (85%) agree with this proposal.

Seven-in-ten British Columbians (73%) believe Canada should “definitely” or “probably” consider establishing new guidelines for birthright citizenship, while 18% would keep the existing standards.

“There is no substantial variation on these questions when the ethnicity of respondents is considered,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “We find that 71% of British Columbians of East Asian descent and 75% of those of European descent would like to see some modifications to the current rules for birthright citizenship.”

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 15 to February 17, 2019, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Only 8% believe the technology will be available sometime in the next 10 years.

Vancouver, BC [February 21, 2019] – A significant proportion of Canadians would be comfortable with the use of biometrics (such as fingerprints, palm recognition or iris scans) to pay for things, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 49% of Canadians say they “definitely” or “probably” would like to see people relying on biometrics to make purchases, while two-in-five (40%) would not and 11% are not sure.

“Canadian Men (57%) and Millennials (54%) are definitely more likely to endorse biometrics at this stage,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “There is also a higher craving for this type of technology from Quebecers (66%) and Albertans (55%).”

However, two-in-five Canadians (40%) say they do not expect biometric payments to materialize in the next 20 years, and 15% foresee that they will never be available.

When asked about the way they currently pay for things, Canadians rely on a combination of sources. One third of payments (34%) involve a debit card, followed by cash (31%) and credit cards (24%).

Across the country, 8% of all transactions are conducted through a smartphone—a proportion that climbs to 18% among Canadians aged 18-to-34—and 3% are done with a cheque.

Residents of Atlantic Canada (39%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (37%) and Alberta (also 37%) rely more heavily on debit cards than those in other parts of the country.

Seven-in-ten Canadians (70%) report that there was a time in the past month when they did not have any actual money (coins or bills) on them and had to use their credit card, debit card or smartphone to make a purchase of less than $10.

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 2 to February 5, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

Two-in-five parents think it is “likely” that their children will move away for their current municipality due to the high cost of living.

Vancouver, BC [February 19, 2019] – As British Columbia observes “Family Day”, a considerable proportion of parents in Metro Vancouver report experiencing anxiety over several issues, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative sample of parents in Metro Vancouver, three-in-five (61%) say it is currently difficult to “make ends meet” for them and their families.

In the City of Vancouver, 79% of parents report that “making ends meet” is currently hard, compared to 52% in Surrey and 57% in other Metro Vancouver municipalities.

One third of parents (34%) say they have experienced housing-related stress and financial-related stress “occasionally” or “frequently” over the past year.

Half of parents in Metro Vancouver (50%) say it is “very difficult” or “moderately difficult” to save money in a bank account under the current circumstances, and 45% feel the same way about paying for day-to-day expenses.

Just over a third of Metro Vancouver parents (35%) have found it hard to pay for child care, while 14% say it is challenging to pay for transportation.

Across Metro Vancouver, 42% of parents say it is “very likely” or “moderately likely” that their children will have to move away from the municipality where they currently live due to the high cost of living.

“The views on the future vary greatly depending on where families currently reside,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “While most parents in Surrey and other smaller municipalities expect their children to settle nearby, more than half of those in Vancouver believe their children will have to eventually relocate.”

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 3 to February 5, 2019, among 631 adult parents of children aged 0 to 18 in Metro Vancouver. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Metro Vancouver. The margin of error— which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.7 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

A majority agrees with the way Canadian authorities have acted in the Meng Wanzhou case.

Vancouver, BC [February 12, 2019] – Many Canadians are concerned about the possible involvement of Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei in the development of the country’s 5G (or “Fifth Generation”) mobile networks, a new Research Co. poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 57% of Canadians think the federal government should not allow Huawei to participate in 5G.

On a regional basis, British Columbia has the highest level of rejection for Huawei’s involvement in 5G (73%), followed by Ontario (62%) and Alberta (57%).

The federal government is currently reviewing the guidelines for the development of 5G mobile networks, which are expected to provide Canadians with larger data capacity and faster connections.

In December, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver. Meng faces charges in the United States—including bank fraud and obstruction of justice—and the U.S. has formally requested her extradition.

Across Canada, 43% of respondents say they have been following media stories related to Meng’s arrest “very closely” or “moderately closely.”

More than three-in-five Canadians (63%) say they agree with the way Canadian authorities have acted in this case, while 25% disagree and 12% are undecided.

Support for Canada’s actions is highest among women (67%), residents aged 55 and over (73%) and Liberal Party voters in the 2015 federal election (76%).

“Most Canadians approve of the decisions that the federal government has taken on this file,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Most are also wary of enabling Huawei to play a role in Canada’s future telecommunications networks.”

More than half of Canadians (57%) think Canada should not work to establish closer ties with China—a proportion that includes majorities of those who voted for the Conservative Party (62%) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) (55%) in the last federal ballot.

Methodology:

Results are based on an online study conducted from February 2 to February 5, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.